Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to automatic clothes dryers and more particularly to an improved air seal arrangement in automatic clothes dryers.
Present clothes dryer seals are formed of a relatively thick ring of felt stuffed and lodged into place between the housing and the drum to bear against the drum as it rotates. Such a seal arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,838 assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. Seals are necessary to prevent air leakage between the drum and the clothes dryer cabinet which could detrimentally affect the air flow system of the clothes dryer. Such seals are difficult to establish, particularly in mass produced clothes dryers wherein the tolerances between the stationary and moving components can vary. This is particularly true when the seal is to be effective between a large diameter rotating drum, such as in a clothes dryer. It is desirable that the sealing characteristics be effective but without having the seal exert too much force against the rotating drum thus either causing a slowdown of the drum or an excessive burden on the components that drive the drum at a preferred given speed in order to obtain optimum drying characteristics.
In addition to the above consideration, one of the difficulties in prior clothes dryer seal arrangements is that the assembly of the clothes dryer necessarily involved a "blind" assembly of the seal with the drum and it could not be determined if the seal was in its proper position against the drum. It is therefore highly desirable to have a seal arrangement so that during assembly of the clothes dryer it can be determined visually whether or not the seal is in its proper position to assure maximum sealing characteristics.
It is also advantageous to have a seal arrangement that prevents any lubricant or worn material particles from the supports that hold the front of the drum and allow it to rotate from being introduced into the interior of the drum where it might come in contact with the clean dried clothes.
By my invention there is provided an improved air seal arrangement for clothes dryers that will accomplish the above mentioned desirable characteristics.